Chapter 680: The Gaunt Shack
Kyle also learned from Chris what had transpired that morning.
The sequence of events was relatively straightforward. Umbridge had led a team of Hit Wizards to Hampshire early in the day, aiming to gather material for the front page of The Daily Prophet. This wasn't her first time orchestrating such efforts; she was well-versed in these operations and had brought along seasoned veterans accustomed to working with her.
Upon arriving, the Hit Wizards dispersed expertly to search for clues. But as fate would have it, they encountered a Death Eater carrying out some task.
Later, when the Hit Wizards regrouped, they witnessed an extraordinary and startling scene: the haughty and overconfident Umbridge writhing on the ground in pain, pleading for mercy, while Bellatrix Lestrange stood nearby, wand in hand, laughing hysterically.
Almost instinctively, one of the Hit Wizards snapped a photo of the shocking moment. However, the Ministry ultimately opted not to use that particular image for the newspaper, choosing a less damning one instead.
"So, Umbridge approached them deliberately?" Kyle asked, incredulous.
"Sort of..." Chris replied. "Since You-Know-Who hasn't shown himself lately, it's clear he's keeping something under wraps. Normally, Death Eaters wouldn't waste their time on something so trivial unless they were coerced into it."
"But Umbridge is an exception. Everyone knows her fierce opposition to Death Eaters, and her rhetoric is even more extreme than Barty Crouch's back in the day."
"And Bellatrix? She's one of You-Know-Who's most fanatical and loyal followers. Running into Umbridge must have felt like the perfect opportunity to eliminate a threat for her master."
"Why not just use the Killing Curse?" Kyle glanced at the photo in the paper. "That spell can't actually kill anyone."
"I suspect she wanted to extract some useful information from Umbridge," Chris said after a thoughtful pause. "Things like the Ministry's plans or even the location of the Order of the Phoenix headquarters. That's her usual method."